The key? In both cases, communicators tied their important organization news to national news and teased their e-mails with intriguing subject lines.

It all began with some dirty drinking glasses. In early November 2007 Fox’s Atlanta station ran a two-part investigative story airing undercover footage exposing hotel housekeepers’ unsanitary practices of washing guestroom drinking glasses (or not) at five economy and upscale hotels.

“AH&LA immediately recognized the impact of this segment and potential for ‘copy cat’ media investigations in other cities on both this topic and related cleanliness issues also under media scrutiny,” says Jessica Soklow, manager of media relations for the Washington D.C.-based association.